side. The room was tastefully furnished with soft leather armchairs, and a floor-to-ceiling panoramic window overlooked the estate's calm private lake. Pale winter sunlight st

staring pointedly at Maya's scuffed leather loafers. "I have to ask," she said loudly with obvious disdain, "h

ignored Diane, her steady gaze fixed on the heavy polished mahogany doors lea

scitation, advanced trauma life support, crisis intervention. These

rcing cold draft swept through the warm lounge, and

d heavily over everyone. He wore a sleek charcoal tailored suit with a sh

ostures. Some nervously fixed their hair, vis

lked straight to the head of th

aced a sleek silver tablet on the table. "The final five

rp impatience crossed his face; all resumes

ont," she said confidently, "I hold a board position at the Nat

care about your titles," he said in a frig

shrank back in her chair, utterly hum

t nothing here. She stood up slowly

path. "Miss Hayes, remain seated unless ins

She calmly held her ground

titles. I have rich experience handling acute psychiatric episodes and p

slowly raised his eyes to loo

her cheap blazer, bare wri

he faint pale scar around her w

nto the table and leaned back, openly

ng on purpose," he sai

a calculating social climber who uses har

red softly, enjoying May

er, but she kept a neutral express

petence," Maya replied calmly. "I can keep your fa

toe. He curled his thin lips into a d